UNC volleyball tallies 11-match win streak in Carmichael Arena

The North Carolina volleyball team returned to its roots when it moved back to the newly renovated Carmichael Arena with high expectations for its season.

After two years of matches on the Smith Center’s floor, the UNC seniors, who played in Carmichael their freshmen season, have made a triumphant return to the arena, where they’ve posted an 11-1 home record thus far.

With the leadership of seniors Courtney Johnston, Suzanne Haydel and Christine Vaughen, the Tar Heels planned on going undefeated in Chapel Hill for their homecoming season in the arena where UNC volleyball first got its start.

Standing across the net against a stacked Penn State team, North Carolina opened its home season with a loss. But that loss came to none other than the back-to-back-to-back national champions and remains the team’s only dropped match in Carmichael this season.

“Because we had made it one of our preseason goals to keep Carmichael undefeated, we were like ‘All right, that match doesn’t even count,’” Haydel said. “So we’ve got to make sure that every match at home needs to be a win for us, especially competing in the ACC.”

The Tar Heels bounced back to secure two wins on their home court the very next day in the Carolina Classic, and their success has only continued as the season progresses.

“I think it’s a huge honor to be able to play back here again,” Johnston said. “Talking about volleyball, there’s been 12 ACC championships won in here in the last 20 years, and to be able to possibly have another one of those won and put on our record board is a huge accomplishment. That’s a huge goal for us seniors — to have an undefeated ACC record at home.”

So far UNC volleyball has racked up an impressive 9-2 ACC record, with six of those victories coming from inside Carmichael’s walls.

“The atmosphere is more sentimental and more personable,” said Haydel, whose team has five home matches remaining. “With the kind of crowd we attract, the Dean Dome was kind of overwhelming and our crowd looked really small, but here it’s great to see the whole venue filled.”

UNC can pack Carmichael with 8,010 fans instead of the 21,750 it takes to fill the Smith Center.

North Carolina has picked up major wins against then-No. 14 Florida State in September and a rolling Virginia Tech team Friday, using home court advantage to fuel its momentum.

“Especially because the opposing teams haven’t been (in Carmichael) for a few years and aren’t used to it, that’s a really big positive advantage for us,” UNC coach Joe Sagula said. “Every team has their own environment where they tend to rally in and play better.”

With a locker room to call their own and the coaches’ offices just steps away from the court, the Tar Heels call Carmichael a truly intimate environment.

“Anytime you step on your home court as a team, we’re mentally focused on ‘This is our gym; this is our home; this is our floor, and we just have to defend it to the end,’” Haydel said. “And I think we’ve done a really good job with that.”

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.